The Furies of Alera
Furies are elementals originating from the continent Alera herself. Some furies are extremely rare in the wild, while others are considered a pestilence for their almost overpopulation in some areas, but all are powerful in their own right. These elemental spirits inhabits six different elements - earth, water, air, fire, metal and wood. These occupy all areas of Alera, most often found in areas reflecting their elemental nature. When called upon by a wielder they either lend their properties to the fury crafter or manifest directly. Some furies are small and have no physical form but lives as the spirit of a tree, the waves in the ocean or a flame in a camp fire. Others are powerful enough to manifest and live as elemtals of the wild. Folklore speaks of "Great Furies," the most powerful and ancient of these spirits, by which Alerians swear or curse. However, as these are only mentioned in fairy tales and folklore they and considered as much. The properties of the different elements: * Earth ** Element of strength. ** Used to increase strength for short bursts of time, tracking, manipulate earth by hardening, softening or reforming it and calm animals. A manifested earth fury can, if strong enough, carry a crafter across ground as if on a raft. Earthcraft is disrupted when contact with the ground is lost (disrupted by air). ** Manifestation: Often the shape of dogs, wolves or bears. Composed of earth and stone, slow and dumb but extremely strong and steadfast. * Water ** Element of healing. ** Used for communicating over large distances through bodies of water, keeping a youthful appearance, and manipulating water. Disrupted by fire or excessive heat. ** Manifestation: Has to be atop or in water. Often takes the shape of people or human like creatures. * Air ** Element of speed. ** Used to control the wind, increase speed and agility in short bursts of time or to bend air into lenses to see farther. It can be used to manipulate the weather, including the creation of lightning. Windcraft is disrupted by earth, particularly in the form of salt. ** Manifestation: Fast, low damage creatures, often in the shape of a spirit-looking animal or a white flying animal such as an eagle or an owl. Can only be damaged by magic or earth, and is extremely hard to kill. However, dies instantly if it comes into contact with rock salt. Furystorms is a phenomenon when enough windfuries (often referred to as windmanes) are riled and can be deadly to be caught in. * Fire ** Element of carnage. ** Used to create and manipulate flames and heat for either constructive or massively destructive purposes; can be used to create cold by extracting heat from an object; by far the most destructive and powerful of the elements. Disrupted by water. ** Manifestation: High dmg, low health, most often in the shape of a burning snake, scorpion, hellhound or hell worm. * Metal ** Element of resilience. ** Used in swordplay as crafters can change the hardness of metal, allowing them to strike with diamond-hard blades. A metalcrafter can, if calling his fury, sense metal close to them them. Shields can also be made more flexible to absorb a greater amount of impact than normal. When calling ones fury, metalcrafters can also dramatically increased pain tolerance and physical endurance. Disrupted by wood. ** Manifestation: Only the greatest lords of old are known to have manifested metal furies - a manifestation of liquid metal, almost impervious to magic, little else is known. * Wood ** Element of stealth. ** Used in manipulating plants, tracking animals or for camouflage; used by archers to bend massive bows to allow arrows to fly farther and faster at greater accuracy. Requires nearby living wood or plant matter. Disrupted by surrounding the user with stone or metal. ** Manifestation: The weakest and easiest to kill. Often appearing in the shape of a four legged beast with bark skin. Blood consisting of flammable tree sap. Regenerates health and can enter trees or plants and control them.